Two Worlds Collide
by animeaddict2323232
Summary: Yankees vs Red Sox. What happens when two complete opposites meet each other? Over time, their minds can't control what their passionate hearts are telling them to do. Will they be able to stay together even if everyone/thing is trying to stop them?
1. prologue preface prologue

_**Prolouge:**_

Angry honks and bright lights covered the entire city. People of all ages are walking on the nicely paved sidewalks, taking in the entire breathtaking city. Every few seconds, the people gazed at the high end store's window, yearning to go in. Trying to get attention by using the same routine, the homeless men begged for money. Unsure of their intentions, most people ignored and passed by them without a glance. Flashing every few seconds, billboards advertised all of the possible entertaining things to do or see in the city. Ah yes, New York City. The most crowded city in the United States. Not to mention, one of the richest.

It was also the summer, one of the busiest times to travel to New York. The summer made the traffic and the ability to walk around even worse than it normally was. It was overpopulated as it was. Tourists just made it confusing.

Slumped on the bench, the brunette teen sighed. 17 year-old Ulrich Stern took another sip of his coffee and then gazed at the tourists walking around the park. The park. Central Park.

Ulrich cursed under his breath when he watched a elderly couple walk towards him. The elderly man tapped him politely on the shoulder. Trying to muster his humble look, Ulrich smiled shyly at the couple.

"Excuse me young man, but could you direct us to the FAO Shorts?" The woman asked, smiling at Ulrich.

Ulrich placed his coffee in his lap and gave the directions to the excited couple. They thanked him gratefully and left as quick as they could. Unknowingly, Ulrich smiled at the retreating couple. Every now and again, there were nice tourists. Instead of the normal pain in the asses.

Ulrich threw his arm over the bench and continued to drink his coffee. A couple of girls passed by and giggled when he winked at them. He was used to the female attention. He wished his family would give him that attention.

Ulrich's grinning face soon turned into a serious one. His father and him had yet another fight this morning when they met each other for breakfast. The screaming was raised to such an extreme volume that the manager had to eventually come out and ask them to leave. That's going to show up in the tabloids tomorrow.

Mr. Stern was the governor of New York. He was a rich politician that only cared about money and status. He thought your reputation was everything and only cared to associate with you if you have a high status, which is what he repeatedly told Ulrich. His mom was no different. She only married him for money and continued to have affairs with younger men. That's the main reason why Ulrich moved out and bought his own suite in the upper side of the city.

Ulrich was tired of his Dad trying to convince him to become a politician. He doesn't want to be in government, nor will he ever want to be in government. He was interested in sports, especially soccer and baseball.

Did he mention his Dad was the owner of the New York Yankees? That was the only reason why Ulrich even tried to get along with his father: to get tickets to the game. He was close friends with some of the Yankees. If he was lucky, Girardi, the coach of the Yankees, would let him hit some balls with the team.

Interrupting his peaceful thoughts, the Lincoln Park ringtone, that belonged to his cell phone, started to play. Ulrich reached into his pocket and pulled out him I-Phone 3GS and accepted the call.

"Hello?" His husky voice rang through the misty air.

"Dude, where are you? The party started an hour ago and everyone wants to know where you are. I mean it's your suite and everything."

Ulrich listened to his best friend, Odd DellaRobbia babble on about nothing in particular. Finally, wanting his roommate to stop chattering, he grunted and said, "Okay, Odd. I'm on my way."

Without waiting for Odd to respond, he shut his phone and placed it back into his pocket. Grumbling, Ulrich slowly stood up from the bench. He didn't want to attend the party Odd wanted to throw before the big game...Yankees verses the Red Sox. Of course, Ulrich scored behind home plate seats to take three people to the game. One for him, one for Odd and one for...

His pocket started singing the Lincoln Park song again. "Shit." He said when he read the caller ID. Sissy, his stalker who claimed she was madly in love with him. She didn't even know him. Speaking of her, she claimed the third ticket. Oh joy. Sitting next to Miss Beauty Queen should be fun.

"Hey, Sissi," He spoke into the phone, his voice contained hints of annoyance.

Sissi squealed out, "Oh, Ulrich dear! How did you know it was me?"

Ulrich shook his head in disbelief. "There's this thing that we've had for a while. It's called caller ID."

Sissi giggled. "I know what it is silly. I just wanted to call you and tell you I'm waiting for you at the party."

"Oh gee...then I better hurry." Ulrich muttered sarcastically.

Not noticing the sarcasm, Sissi replied, "Good, Ulrich dear. See you soon."

Ulrich slammed his phone shut and muttered a phrase that sounded like 'bratty pain in the ass.' He lazily got up from the bench and waved at the girls who were sitting across from him, giggling, before he started walking towards his car. Unlocking the door to his silver Porsche, Ulrich hopped into the car and started up the engine, preparing himself for a long, painful drive.

OoO

He pulled up to his nice apartment building and entered it. He saluted the attractive woman at the front dress that had tried flirting with him yesterday. It was just too bad that she wasn't his type. She was boring and uptight. Ulrich stepped into the elevator and took it up to the Pen Suite level.

He wasn't usually this pissed off. He was normally quite friendly and nice. Not to mention, romantic, sweet, and thoughtful. Unlike most guys, he looked sexy being Mr. Romantic.

His last girlfriend, Emily, told him she loved him and he believed her. He even once believed he loved her too, but it was a total lie. She had been working for the press, and he never suspected anything because she was just an intern. She had been secretly helping a magazine exploit him. She had used him, and he was humiliated. Ever since then, Ulrich has had a tough time being himself. He could only really be himself when he was at a Yankees game.

The excited fans would pour into Yankee stadium, expecting a great game. He would listen to all the New York accents and silently ask himself if he talked like that. The smell of the hotdogs and beer would overwhelm him. He knew he was underage so he went to the club level where they allowed him to have a few beers.

As soon as the game would start, his attention would be focused entirely on the game. Only a few times, during the second half of the inning, would he go and grab something to snack on. And sometimes would even argue with a Yankee Hater or a Red Sox fan.

The game was the life that he lived.

His hand reached for the door knob and pulled it open. He should have known the door would be open. Ulrich was greeted with druken shouts and crazed laughter. The normally clean suite room was now crowded and loud, filled with young adults having a good time.

'Crazy drunks' Ulrich muttered to himself as he shut the door behind him. He reached over and grabbed a beer, opening it in a quick second. He wondered if this is what college life would be like.

"Ulrich, my man! There you are."

Ulrich turned to see his best friend, Odd DellaRobbia, skipping over to him. Odd wasn't very tall, but he wasn't short either. Luckily for him, Odd had good looks and picked up girls faster than the speed of light. He was a total Cassanova.

The two boys shared a grin and manly hug. It was a regular hug, but it sounded less girly if it was known as 'manly'. After letting go from the hug, Ulrich took another swig of his beer.

"So, Odd, how many people are drunk? Has the front desk given us a noise-warning call yet?" Ulrich asked with a sly grin, noticing the red thong attached to Odd's head.

"Only a few. They're trying to stay sober for the game," Odd replied with a shrug and then grinned, "As for the lovely Carmen, I gave her your phone number and she promised to call."

Carmen. That was her name. Ulrich thought to himself, remembering the girl he flirted with yesterday.

"Why'd you give her my number?" Ulrich questioned Odd as they walked through the dancing crowd of people. He ignored the female stares and swoons.

"Because I knew you wouldn't mind...AND when you let her down easily, I'll be there to pick up the pieces." Odd added suggestively, raising his eyebrows. Ulrich scoffed and sat on the couch.

"Gotta run dude. The chicks are playing 'I Never,' and I wouldn't miss that for the world." He called, running off. Ulrich shook his head in disbelief. He still wasn't sure how Odd managed to be his best friend. They were such opposites.

Interrupting his thoughts, a high pitched squeal ran through the room. A gorgeous looking girl walked gracefully through the room, and sat down next to Ulrich. She batted her eyes at him and hiccuped a bit.

"Ulrich, aren't I the prettiest girl in the universe?" Sissi slurred. She ran a hand through her silky dark, flowing hair.

"You're drunk, Sissi." Ulrich said in disgust, looking away.

"What are you talking about, Ulrich dear?" She asked with a giggle.

"Sissi dear, if you don't mind, I'd rather gave away your ticket to someone whose actually sober." Ulrich snarled, annoyed with her pet names and her sickening sweet voice.

He hopped up from the couch, leaving the beer can with a drunk Sissi. He walked towards his bedroom and shut the door lightly. He didn't even like the girl. His father did...because of her father.

When Ulrich was just 13, his father introduced him to the Delmas family. Mr. Delmas governed California and was close friends with the President. His daughter Elizabeth, other wise known as Sissi, wanted to board in New York City at the coed boarding school Ulrich went to. Of course, Mr. Stern was more than happy to have Ulrich show his daughter around while he conversed with Mr. Delmas. Kiss ass.

Ulrich even heard his Dad talking about marriage between the two with Mr. Delmas. As if that would ever happen.

He logged on to his computer and signed onto his AIM account. BigComputerFreak was on.

YankeesSuperStar: Hey Jeremie, want to go to the game tonight?

~X~

"Good Morning Boston, this is Mike and Mike in the morn-

A hand slammed down on the alarm clock before it could complete its sentence. 18 year-old Yumi Ishiyama growled and cuddled back into her stiff covers. It was noon already, but Yumi was still cranky and tired from staying up so late last night. And why did she stay up so late last night, you might ask? Well, she was watching a baseball game.

Not only a baseball game. Yankees verses the Sox in Fenway Park.

In the end, the game was canceled after a tie-tie score in the 13th inning. Due to heavy rains and lightning, the game had been canceled. What a complete upset and not to mention, a waste of time.

Yumi had been pissed last night. She was so angry because the game she had stayed at up until 3 am for, had been canceled due to rain. _Rain. _

She was known was the biggest Red Sox fan around her town. All she did was live and breathe Red Sox past, present, and future. Luckily for her, so did her roommates.

"Yumi! Get your ass down here! Your dad will be here in an a hour to take you home for the weekend." An angered, but soft voice rang out.

Yumi growled, but lazily stretched out of her bed. She had been living with her friends for a year now, outside of her college's campus, Boston University. She has been living in Boston ever since she was three years old and had moved with her family from Japan. She loved the Boston aroma.

Unfortunately, now that it was in the middle of the summer, the Ishiyamas had planned to take away Yumi and her brother away for vacation...in Japan. The farthest place a human could possibly get away from her beloved home team.

She wasn't obsessed...just a huge supporter of 'Red Sox Nation.' You have to be a true Red Sox fan, to understand what she was talking about.

Throwing on a pink formal kimono, Yumi gazed at herself in the mirror in disgust, but continued brushing out the tangles in her hair as quickly as she could. If her parents were coming, she had to look presentable. Her parents, mostly her dad, were the biggest pain in the asses. And Yumi knew this firsthand.

She rushed down the creaky stairs and jogged into the kitchen. Standing right in front of her was her best friend, Aelita Stones. She was a small and petite girl with soft pink colored hair and warm green eyes. Although, at this point, she looked angry. Her usual peachy face was replaced with a bright red one. Oh yeah, Yumi was in for it.

"Yumi Ishiyama! Why in the world do you go to bed so late?" Aelita shouted at her, and started to go into details about everything she was doing wrong. Yumi watched as Aelita continued to pace around and lecture her. Finally, Yumi ignored Aelita and sat down next to Theo, and William, her other roommates.

"Pass the cereal, will you?" Yumi asked Theo, who did as he was told. Aelita kept yapping, not noticing a missing Yumi.

"Let me guess, parents are coming and you overslept which pissed Aelita off?" William asked, stuffing a spoon full of cereal in his mouth.

Yumi smiled at her friend who knew her to well. "Your guess is correct."

"Dammit Yumi. Will you ever learn?" Theo asked her, shaking his head in disbelief, a smile playing on his lips.

Yumi looked over at her pink-hared friend who resumed her duties as their mother. She was dusting the counter tops, ignoring her roommate's comments. Sighing and standing up, Yumi walked over to where Aelita was cleaning.

"I'm sorry okay, Lita? I just become a nervous wreck when I watch the Sox play. And my parents are coming today. Everything has to be perfect." Yumi apologized.

"Apology accepted. Now hurry up and eat so you can help me clean." Aelita said, a bright smile forming on her face as she glanced over to Yumi. She smiled gently before sitting down to finish her meal.

She kept smiling, enjoying the silence between her friends. She turned to look at Theo, who was scarfing down his food. He was the athlete of the group. He actually played baseball and dreamed of playing in the MLB. Theo was determined, funny, and easy going. If Yumi ever wanted to goof around, Theo would join her.

Her gaze turned to William, who was shaking his head at Theo. William was serious, but not in an uptight way. He was a total rebel, usually misunderstood by adults. William wasn't an ordinary bad boy though. Although he was known as the 'most wanted guy' in Boston, he was really sweet and romantic in a total cliche way. Yumi sometimes wondered if she liked him more than a friend.

Her eyes lingered over to Aelita, who was busy cleaning the room from top to bottom. She was the voice of reason...the mother-like figure out of the four. She was smart, respectful, and sweet. Aelita does have a bad side...but only Yumi's seen it. That one time...at the bar...

"No fucking way." Theo shouted in excitement, dropping his bowl on the ground. Crackling, the bowl shattered with a loud clang that rang through the room. Swiftly turning, Aelita approached Theo, boiling with anger.

"Theo! That was fucking china!" Aelita swore loudly, raising her clenched fists.

William spit his cereal back into his bowl, laughing a bit. He looked over at Yumi who grinned in return. It was rare to hear Aelita swear.

"Sorry Lita, but I just got great news!" Theo shouted, not even looking at Aelita. He raised his fist in the air and started shaking it with triumph.

"Your grandmas visiting?" William asked sarcastically, standing up from his chair. He walked over to where Aelita was grumpily picking up the glass and started to help her pick up.

Theo ignored William and turned to Yumi, his eyes bulging with excitement. He looked like an 8 year-old who just bought his very own golden retriever. Giving him the attention he wanted, Yumi gazed up at Theo, probing him to continue.

"You know my buddy Jordan? Well, his Dad owns Fenway Park right?"

Yumi nodded slowly, gesturing with her hands for him to get to the point. She already knew his buddy. She even flirted with him a bit, to get tickets to Fenway.

"Well, he's got four tickets to the Yankees/Sox game tonight!" Theo yelled and whopped. Yumi jumped up from her seat and whopped with him.

"No way! At Yankees Stadium?" Yumi asked him. Theo nodded in response.

Both of them started laughing and yelling, excited to enter the unfriendly stadium as opposing fans. It was risking and daring...but a total thrill. That's what Theo said anyway. William and Aelita smirked at Yumi and Theo, still in disbelief that a baseball game could make them crazy and wild. Yumi stopped jumping up and down and stood perfectly still. She scowled and started swearing like a mad woman.

"Holy cow, Yumi. What's wrong?" Aelita asked her.

"My parents are coming to take me to Japan today." Yumi whaled, throwing herself onto the kitchen chair. Theo looked down at her, shaking his head with depression.

"Aw Yumi. That's too bad because the tickets are behind home plate. We scored big this time."

"You're kidding right?" Yumi asked, sadness creeping through her voice. She slammed her fists aganist the table and growled. Her eyes lighted up in anger.

Theo shook his head while William walked over to the back of Yumi's chair. He leaned over so that his mouth was near her ear. His breath felt heavy and musky. It felt...different.

"You know what Yumi? You've never liked spending time with parents. This is a once in a life time opportunity. Are you going to let it go?"

Yumi pondered this thought, thinking about all of the possible consequences. One. Her parents would be pissed and probably give her a heavy consequence. That would be awful. On the other hand, she could be seeing the best game of her life tonight and she didn't have to be around her parents.

That was a pretty big deal for her. For all of her life, her parents have been controlling her life and finding every positive thing about her and turning it into a negative. They just loved punishing her and keeping her in line. She had a feeling they wanted her to be a saint.

And that dream was about to die.

"Screw it. I'm going to watch a Red Sox game tonight." Yumi replied, walking upstairs to change into some decent clothes.

~X~

**Okay so this is my first Ulrich/Yumi fic.**

**And I know the Code Lyoko archive has been slowing down ever since the show ended and that really sucks:-(**

**So I've been planning this story for a while and it's finally published!**

**BTW: It's romance with a little side of baseball, don't pay attention to the baseball part if you don't want to :-)**

**So please click the Review box and let me know what you think**

**If I get at least 5, I'll continue it.**

**-With Love, AnimeAddict2323232-**


	2. one uno one

_**OneUnoOne:**_

This was a mistake.

That was exactly what Yumi Ishiyama was thinking.

The whole, let's go to New York thing and crash the Yankees game had turned out to be a disaster, starting with the train ride from Boston into New York. What happened exactly?

Well...

After Yumi decided to screw her parents over, she ran up the stairs and changed into Red Sox fan gear. She decided to wear a navy and red Ellsbury shirt. The number 44 was imprinted largely on her back. She matched her shirt with jean shorts and navy converses were placed on her small feet. A Red Sox hat was placed on the top of her black shoulder length hair. Gazing at herself in the crystal clear mirror, Yumi smiled at her reflection. She looked exactly like...her.

She skipped down the stairs, jumping over one every once in a while. She jogged into the small, dumpy kitchen, where her friends were waiting. She smiled at their Red Sox attire. Theo ran over to her and gave her a tight squeeze, which she returned.

"Tonight's gunna rock!" He shouted, wrapping his arm around Yumi.

Normally, that hug would be awkward for close friends, but Yumi wasn't worried about Theo making moves on her. He had a girlfriend named Audrey that lived in New Hampshire. He drove down every weekend to see her. They were really cute together.

William side glanced at Yumi and raised an eyebrow. She smiled and broke away from Theo, giving William a tight squeeze. His arms pulled her tighter into his warm body and held her a little longer then they should have...

Aelita cleared her throat and smiled at them in amusement. "Let's get going."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Yumi replied, bumping her hip against Aelita's, making her pink-haired friend giggle.

--

"You're shitting me right?"

"Ma'am, we don't appreciate your profanity." The security officer said firmly. Yumi's cheeks boiled with anger.

"You **saw **me buy the tickets! Seriously man, are you kidding me?" Yumi screeched, waving her hands around in front of the cop.

"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't get on this train without your ticket." Yumi scowled and backed away from the cop. Aelita and Theo, who were standing on the other side of the cop, glanced at each other in panic. Aelita tried to run after her friend, but the cop threw his hand in front of her.

Aelita frowned at the cop and called out, "Yumi, how are you going to get there?" Yumi turned to look at her friend while William threw a arm over Yumi's shoulders, protectively.

"You and Theo go ahead on the train. Yumi and I will meet you over there." William called out, while Yumi raised an eyebrow. Aelita looked like she wanted to come with them, but just nodded and walked with Theo into the train.

Yumi glanced up at William. "How do you propose we get there?"

William looked down at her a shrugged playfully. "Dunno. But we'll get there."

Yumi sighed and looked to her right. A rental cars advertisement popped up in her vision. She tapped William's shoulder and pointed towards the sign. "Look! Over there!"

William's gaze moved to where Yumi was pointing. He grinned lazily and pulled her towards the rental car booth. His arm was still draped over her shoulders.

--

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Of all the rotten luck."

"That's all you can say?" Yumi fumed as she jumped out of the car, slamming her door behind her. He followed her lead and walked over to the front of the car and opened the hood. Floating out of the hood, the smoky fumes and gases threw themselves in William's face. William coughed and used his hand to sway at the gas.

"Of all the rotten luck," Yumi mocked William and then opened her mouth to speak more, but William cut her off.

"Looks like the engine is fried." He mumbled to himself, ignoring her previous comment.

"Ya think?" Yumi snapped, her voice filled with impatience. She started pacing behind the car.

"Listen Yumi, I'll call for a cab."

"Don't bother! They probably won't pick up with all this shitty karma were getting." Yumi growled and started ranting on about how she should have gone to Japan with her family. William, on the other hand, walked to side of the road and stuck his thumb sideways.

"I don't understand! I've always been a good child." Yumi wailed.

"Yumi."

"The only time I did anything bad was that one time I yelled at my parents for making the choices **I'm** supposed to make. Sure I made my Mom cry and my Dad all red in the face, but they had it coming."

"Yumi."

"So why am I getting punished? Couldn't it just rain instead of me missing out on the game of my life?"

"YUMI!"

Yumi turned to see WIlliam, next to a BMW, holding the back door open. "We've got a ride into New York City." He said with a grin.

Yumi looked over at him in astonishment, but walked towards him and then into the backseat. This went against everything she believed in. I mean jumping into some random dude's car just to go to a baseball game? She could be raped or kidnapped or worse! Yumi told herself to calm down and breathe. She was doing this for the Red Sox. Cringing, she looked at the people in the front seat. In the driver seat, a 20 year-old male sat, without his seatbelt, she may add. Gelled into a spiky mohawk, the black stiff hair looked messy and unkept. His blue eyes were rimmed with red, almost as if he were stoned. His pale skin clashed against his spiked collar.

"You can call me Spike, babe."

"How ironic." Yumi mumbled, smirking.

"Call me Babs!" The person in the shotgun seat slurred. She giggled manically while the driver glanced at her hazily in amusement.

Oh joy. A couple of wackjobs.

As she continued to laugh, her blonde, barbie-like hair, whipped Yumi in the face. Spitting out the hair, Yumi fake smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm-

"She's Emily and I'm John." William cut in, flashing his dazzling smile. He shut the door behind him as Spike turned on the engine. Babs turned around and winked haughtily at him. Her blue eyes were also rimmed with red, but still managed to look intense in a pretty way. Her freckles defined her peachy colored cheeks.

I looked over at William and raised an eyebrow when I saw him wink at Babs. He was getting into character, that's for sure.

"John, you're lucky we happen to be driving into New York." She said with glee. Babs sounded like she was the one that was** lucky **because he needed help.

Spike turned up the radio before jerking across two lanes. Babs laughed as she banged her head against the window, holding onto the seat for dear life. Yumi side glanced at William who was watching her in amusement. He seemed entranced by her, which made Yumi squirm with discomfort.

"Don't cha think you outta put on your seatbelt?" Yumi asked Babs, and turned to see that Spike wasn't wearing one either.

Spike turned back to look at Yumi. "Seat belts are for chumps." He flashed her a creepy smile. Yumi winced at his attempt to flirt with her. Honking loudly, an angered driver beeped at the BMW several times which Babs found so **hilarious**.

"Watch the road, will you?" Yumi snapped at Spike, who threw his hands onto the wheel again.

"Sheesh, Emily. Chillax." Yep, he was stoned. And so was the chick.

Throwing William a hateful glance, she grumbled something about shitty karma. She then turned towards the window and held onto the edge of her seat for dear life.

She had a feeling that this was going to be a **long** car ride.

~X~

The party was officially over.

Ulrich picked up another empty beer can and threw it into the garbage bag. As he continued to pick up trash, he wondered where Odd was. The game was only four hours away and they wanted to get there early...but they couldn't if Odd was passed out somewhere in the suite.

Ulrich sighed, wishing his best friend could be a little bit more productive. Instead, Odd was lazy and never picked up. Not to mention, he snored and talked in his sleep. Ulrich had to wear ear plugs to sleep just to have a decent night.

"Odd?" Ulrich called out.

No sound.

Ulrich picked up the vacuum cleaner in the closet and turned it on. As it zoomed along the floor, Ulrich looked around for his missing roommate. He kicked open the door to the guest room and swore loudly when he saw Odd in bed with another girl.

"Hey Odd. Party's over." He snapped coldly.

Odd glanced over at him in annoyance. He threw his shirt back on and threw the covers off of him. Luckily, the girl was fully clothed. Odd grabbed the pretty blonde's hand and escorted her out the door. When Odd walked back into the room, Ulrich had placed his hands on his hips. Odd tried not to snicker.

"When are you going to go out with one girl...only?"

Odd sighed. "When I find the right one."

"So sleep around till you do?"

Odd grinned. "That's about right." Ulrich groaned and used his foot to click the vacuum cleaner on. Odd plugged his ears and winced.

"Why are you cleaning?"

Ulrich shook his head at Odd and click the vacuum cleaner off. "You just threw a party at my house and you're asking me why I'm cleaning?"

Odd nodded. "Pretty much."

Ulrich handed Odd the vacuum. "Help, will ya? I'm not missing the game because you're lazy."

Odd groaned, but grabbed the vacuum. "That's better." Ulrich commented, before leaving the room in search of a beer. It was about time Odd cleaned up. Ulrich snapped his beer can open and sipped out of the can. His green eyes fluttered close, enjoying the sound of the vacuum instead of the cars honking outside. It was refreshing...it was

_Hehehehehehehehhe. Ulrich, it's me. Hehehehehehhehe. Ulrich, it's me._

"Fuck." Ulrich swore, reaching down his pocket for his phone. He grabbed the iphone and found a picture of Sissi blowing a kiss. Annoying little-

"Hello?"

"Oh! Ulrich dear! It's me."

"Yeah, so I've noticed." Ulrich commented with annoyance.

"Silly boy. I just wanted to let you know that I'm sober and can't wait to go to the game tonight. When should I stop by?"

Ulrich scoffed. "Sissi, I'd rather you didn't stop by."

Silence. "How come?"

"I already gave away your ticket away to Jeremie. Sorry." Ulrich replied, sounding anything but apologetic.

"To that...that nerd? Have you lost it?" She snapped.

"Nope. He's a friend, not a nerd." Ulrich said before opening his mouth again. "And I recall you saying you'd rather hang out with Vanessa and Ashley again." Ulrich lied, but knew she would very well listen to him. She'd give up any chance to hang out with starlets.

"I did? I don't remember making plans, but I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Ulrich dear?"

Ulrich smirked. "I don't think so." He slammed his phone shut wondering why in the world Sissi had to be in his life. All she did was make it stressful.

He glanced over at the clock. Time to go to the game.

After all, the Yankees were waiting for him.

~X~

"Holy fucking shit!" Yumi screeched as her nails dug into the leather seats. Spike had just swerved the car into the fast lane.

She looked over at William, incredulously. He returned her gaze with a slightly frightened glare. She swore under her breath before slamming her fist against the back of the driver's seat.

"Ouch!" Spike shouted before Yumi punched the back of the seat again.

"Pull the dam car over!"

"What?" Babs asked, batting her eyelashes at William, irritating Yumi. Whore.

"Pull the **dam** car over!" Yumi yelled. Spike swerved the car to the exit and muttered an impolite comment about Yumi.

"You're lucky that we're right by the stadium." Babs trilled, clicking her tongue before giggling again.

"Just pull the car over." Yumi demanded, gritting her teeth. Spike pulled the car over and dropped William and Yumi off at the busy curve. People of all ages were walking towards Yankee Stadium, most wearing the home team's label.

"Bye John." Babs blew him a kiss.

William reached inside for the slip of paper Babs just handed him before shutting the door. The car pulled away quickly, leaving Yumi and William coughing from the toxic gases their car just released.

"Her phone number?" Yumi asked with fake calmness.

William nodded, "Yep." They started walking towards the stadium before Yumi had enough of the silence.

"What the fuck just happened? We hitch hiked with these complete assholes. One was crazy high and the other was a complete freak who didn't know how to drive! I just spent the last 5 hours wondering if I was going to make it to the game-no **alive**. And you just got the crazy bitch's phone number!"

William chuckled. "Same old Yumi. Hot tempered and jealous."

"Hot tempe-woah...wait a second. Jealous? Where did that come from?" She retorted angrily.

"You're jealous because another girl asked me out." He replied, cockily. He smirked in her direction before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Yumi stopped walking to cross her arms over her chest. "Are you joking?"

William stopped and turned to look at her. He smirked and said, "You're impossible." He started walking ahead with an angered Yumi jogging behind him.

She shook her head in disbelief, but bit her tongue to refrain from saying something she would regret later. As they approached the line to get into the game, she saw Aelita and Theo, standing towards the front of the line, waving over at them. Yumi's frown was soon replaced with a grin as she ran over to Aelita with William trying to catch up. She hugged Aelita and squealed with her before trading fist bumps with Theo.

The ticket guy greeted them with a bitter hello. Yumi and Theo grinned at each other while Aelita flushed with embarrassment. They entered the stadium to be greeted with dirty looks and remarks that were too inappropriate and foul to repeat.

"Was it hard getting down here?" Aelita asked Yumi innocently as they strolled through the hall.

William covered Yumi's mouth before she could complain. "Not at all, Lita."

"Can we find the seats first?" Yumi asked her friends, before giving the middle finger to a Yankee fan who had just shouted 'Red Sox suck.'

"I um...well actually Yumes...I'm kind of hungry so can we grab grub first?" Theo asked sheepishly. Yumi glared at him while Aelita chuckled nervously.

"Here's what we'll do. Yumi and I will grab seats, while you two can grab the food."

Theo agreed quickly and pulled William away towards the hot dog stand. Yumi and Aelita shared their eye rolls with each other before heading over to their seats.

"No way! Behind home plate?" Yumi whispered excitedly to her best friend. Aelita shrugged with a small smile.

They took their seats and watched as the Yankee's pitcher threw a fast ball to the catcher. Yumi bragged to Aelita about how much better the Sox's pitcher was before getting rudely interrupted, in her opinion.

"Excuse me?" Yumi turned to the seat on the right of her. Her fierce brown eyes met a pair of confident green eyes. Yumi took in the sight of the brown haired boy as he checked her out.

He was gorgeous and too good looking to be real. As lame as that sounded...it was true. He had messy brown hair and piercing green eyes that made his tan muscular body pop. Her eyes traced over the muscles that made him look toned with his Derek Jeter Yankees shirt. His lips were curved into a smirk, challenging her.

"Did you say Lester was going to kick Sebastia's ass?"

"That's about right." Yumi smirked at him, challenging the dangerous glint in his eye. A shiver went through her body from his husky voice.

"Really? Because I beg to differ. The Yankees are going to kick the Sox's asses like they always do. Especially with their new pitcher." He commented cockily, high fiving the blonde hair boy next to him who was grinning madly.

"Cocky much? I bet the Sox will sweep the Yankees. I'd bet one hundred fucking dollars." Yumi replied, daring him to prove her wrong. He glanced at her in surprise, but grinned.

"You're on...but there's a catch. Loser has to use that money to buy the winner tomorrow night's tickets in Fenway."

Yumi scoffed at his confidence before extending her hand. "Deal." She felt Aelita roll her eyes at her before turning her attention to the strange blonde hair boy was now checking her out. She blushed before turning away.

Yumi felt her hand go numb when he grasped her hand and shook it. Simultaneously, they pulled their hands away from the chill that went through their veins. Yumi shook her head as she gazed over at the boy.

"Think you're gonna win? Think again, Yankee." She snarled.

He grinned. "You watch, Red." He shot back at her.

She gazed over at him in shock. No one has ever challenged a phrase-no a word she's ever boy was unusual...and that frustrated her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yumi."

He turned to look at her before smiling. "Ulrich." She returned his smile and winked.

~X~

**Drop me a review!**

**Thanks again!**

**-With Love, AnimeAddict2323232-**


	3. two dos two

**Heyyyy. **

**Sorry it took me forever to update. I was thinking about it, and thinking about it and I saw that one of my favorite stories took almost a year to update and I was really upset with how short it was and what not. And come to think about it, I wasn't too pleased with myself for updating sooooo slowly. So I'm really going to try to get my lazy ass of the couch from watching Buffy and write.**

**So thank you, Twinie...you know who you are for getting on me for writing this and you better update too :P**

**POVS will change each chapter. So here's Yumi's POV**

**X**

_**TwoDosTwo**_

_**X**_

_Yumi_

_**X**_

It was going up...up...up. It was outta here!

The white object was racing in the air towards the stadium until it landed into the pit of people. The crowd was roaring and many people were up on their feet clapping and cheering. A loud bang rang across the air. Bright colors flashed in the night sky, spreading colors of pinks and oranges. The scoreboard was dancing and screaming out the word 'home run' with loud rock music playing in the background.

Yumi scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned in the back of her chair, pouting. Her face was bright red and her arms were holding onto each other tightly. Yumi ran a hand through her hair, roughly pulling at her ends. Laughter rang through the air. She angrily looked to up to see the dark haired boy laughing at her. His green eyes were taunting her.

"How about that, _Red_?" The standing boy teased her while his blonde haired friend with the purple streak jumped up and down with laughter.

"Ha, Ha, Ha," Yumi responded sourly. Ulrich grinned at her and sat down next to her.

"Oh, Yumi. Don't be upset. It's just the Yankees beating the Red Sox," He replied cockily, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Oh you wait, Stern. The game has only just begun," Yumi spat back, glaring at him. She then turned her attention to the game, angrily seething.

She really wanted to win this competitive game between them. The Red Sox would win, they just had to. Of course, Yumi always wants her home team to win, but this time was different. She needed to be right, to prove him wrong. Yumi yearned to prove him wrong. She would take so much pleasure in winning this little game.

Yumi glanced sideways at Ulrich, who was intently looking at her. She quickly turned her attention back to the game, turning a light shade of pink. He was just staring at her. Normally, she would find this creepy and she probably would have slapped the creeper, but it was different. She liked it when he stared at her. It made her feel... special.

Ulrich was special. She already knew that. Yumi was always good at judging people and was able to understand people's actions and motives clearly. She knew Ulrich was special, but she wasn't exactly sure why he was. Sure, he was incredibly sexy. He had ruffled brown hair and these incredible green eyes. His body was tan and toned, and those muscles...Yumi couldn't even describe how perfectly curved and strong his muscles looked. Ulrich looked like the typical golden boy, the guy that every girl swooned over. And yet, he didn't seem like the type to care. Ulrich was a mystery to her and that was something that was new for her.

"Yumi!"

"Hmmm?" Yumi was brought out of her trail of thoughts by her pink haired friend.

"Yumi, you didn't listen to anything I just said, did you?"

"I'm pretty sure you already know the answer to your question, Lita," Yumi responded, turning to look at her.

Aelita gave her a death look. "You're right. Why do I even bother? You never listen. I wanted to know who just hit that home run."

"A yankee. Does it matter?" Yumi asked lazily.

Aelita rolled her eyes and turned to her right to tell William she didn't know. Yumi watched William give her his trademark grin before winking. Yumi rolled her eyes and slumped into her chair.

She felt eyes on her and turned to see Ulrich staring at her. "Need something, Stern?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Who are your friends?"

Yumi gave him a confused look. "I already told you: this is Aelita."

Ulrich shook his head and used it to gesture to the guys next to Aelita. Yumi looked over to see Theo staring at the game, as if he were entranced. William was looking right at her and then over to Ulrich.

"Oh, umm...this is Theo and the guy that is staring is William."

"Pleasure." Theo said shortly, without tearing his eyes away from the game. Yumi rolled her eyes and waited for William to respond.

When he didn't, Yumi cleared her throat. "William, this is Ulrich."

"You two know each other?" William asked them both, glaring at Ulrich, which Ulrich returned.

"Yes."

"No."

Ulrich teared his eyes away from William to look at Yumi. Yumi had just responded 'no' at the same time Ulrich said 'yes'. Ulrich's green eyes captured Yumi's brown eyes for a long period of time. They say that if you look into someone's eyes, you can see their soul, Yumi thought. When she looked in Ulrich's eyes, she wasn't sure if she could see his soul, but she found something there. Something entrancing...

Ulrich broke their gaze and stared at William. "Nice to meet you."

William nodded once and Ulrich turned his attention back to the game. Yumi noticed that William was still glaring at Ulrich. She shifted in her seat, wishing that William eyes were not staring intently at him. William's stare bothered her, that she knew. He didn't usually bother her, but this stare seemed creepy... and very irritating.

"Yumi? Hello?"

Yumi was drawn back from her thoughts when she saw a hand waving in front of her face. She looked to her right to see Theo leaning over, waving his hand in her face. Slapping at it lightly, she turned to looked at him annoyance.

"Yes, Theo?" She questioned him with weary patience. She just wanted to focus on the game, but everything seemed to be distracting her.

"The lines were too long to get food before so William and I are going to go get food. Want anything?"

"I can get the food, Theo," Yumi answered. She needed some alone time to sort out her thoughts. Getting food would help. Maybe, pick up a guy or two...Red Sox fans, of course.

"You sure?"

Yumi nodded once with a tiny smile. "Yeah, sure thing."

"I'll come."

Shivering slightly, Yumi heard a voice coming from behind her. His voice rang a thousand times over and over again in her head. Replacing her shocked expression, she smirked.

Still not looking at him, Yumi said, "You wanna come, Yankee?"

"Guess I should, Red. You know, to protect you from Red Sox bashes."

Yumi's lips twitched into a smile. "If you insist."

She got up from her seat, adjusting her hat and walked towards the stairs, listening to the footsteps behind her. Yumi reached the staircase and turned around to see the tall, brunette boy following her. His eyes glinted in the light and he flashed a toothy grin at her. Yumi knew he probably gave every girl that smile, but it still had an affect on her. She found herself leaning against the staircase, smirking at him. Returning the smirk, Ulrich leaned against the wall right in front of her.

"Want something?"

"No, not at all," Yumi grinned. "Except for your yankee ass to hurry up."

"Cool it, Red. We have the entire night for your beloved team to lose," He replied evenly, walking down the stairs. Yumi watched him go down the stairs, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Funny, Stern."

She jogged to catch up with brunette. Yumi and Ulrich made a beeline for the hotdog stand. Standing in front of Ulrich and Yumi were two men wearing navy colored yankee shirts. Although Yumi couldn't see what they looked like, she knew they reeked of alcohol. Her smile slipped into a frown and her eyes winced from the nasty oder.

Feeling eyes on them, the two thirty year olds turned around and Yumi wished they hadn't. The drunks had scraggly beards and dim eyes. Their mouths were curved into hateful smiles once they saw Yumi's shirt.

"Look it's a Red Sox fan. Hey pretty lady, doncha think that you'd look better in a yankees shirt."

Yumi scoffed and scowled. "Really? Cause I think you'd look better with my foot shoved up your ass." Out of the corner of her eyes, Yumi could see that Ulrich was grinning from ear to ear, shaking his head with disbelief.

The men stopped smiling. "Not a very nice thing to say, pretty lady. Why don't we take you outside? Show you some manners" The taller man chuckled while the other man reached for her, but Ulrich slapped it away and stepped in front of Yumi.

"Don't touch her, assholes. She's with me," he growled, hiding Yumi behind him. Yumi blushed slightly when she felt Ulrich's arm wrap around her. She could feel his muscles gripping her tightly. She felt herself _enjoying _the sensation of his arms wrapping around her.

"You and what army?" One man joked, laughing at his corny joke. Yumi couldn't believe what she was hearing. What a corny bastard! Ulrich's eyes lite up with fire and his smile was now a hardened scowl.

"Easy guys. I don't wanna call security," A man behind the hot dog stand said, raising his hands up as if he were innocent. Ulrich walked over to him and mumbled something. The man nodded and went over to his grill. Yumi pondered what they were talking about until Ulrich walked back towards them.

"Just me, pal." Ulrich responded before pushing Yumi backwards slightly. He then punched one of the guys in the gut, who let out a grunt and grabbed his stomach with pain. Yumi winced at the contact, knowing that the punch must have hurt.

The other guy backed away and lifted his arm up. "Easy man. We didn't know."

The guy pulled himself off of the floor, still gripping his stomach. He backed away from Ulrich, stumbling.

"Apologize."Ulrich ordered, his voice dared them to not listen so that he could slam their heads against the wall.

"Sorry, uh, miss." He slurred.

"Better. Now, leave." Ulrich demanded, cooly. He walked towards Yumi and placed an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into his body. Yumi looked up at him in confusion. He glanced at her, noticing her confusion. His mouth leaned down to her ear, making Yumi anxious with anticipation.

His breath tickled her neck when he whispered, "Play along."

Yumi nodded and curled into his body tightly. Yumi noted that Ulrich smelled good, like a mixture of soap and cologne. She felt her cheeks getting warm when she realized she was sniffing him. Could she be any weirder? Curling herself tighter into his body, she willed for him not to see her blushing.

He squeezed her tightly and motioned for the guys to walk away. They turned their back to Ulrich and listened to his demand. Yumi forgot about her embarrassment and felt anger boil inside of her for them trying to treat her like shit. She wanted to say something. No, she _needed _to say something.

"That's right! You better walk away," She yelled after them, jumping out of Ulrich's grip. Yumi looked back at Ulrich to see him running a hand through his ruffled brown hair, smiling slightly.

"You just had to say something, didn't you." He stated with amusement.

Yumi shrugged. "It's in my blood."

"Well, couldn't it have been slightly more original than 'that's right, you better walk away'?" He mocked her before walking to the counter where the man was waiting with 7 orders of food.

Yumi looked taken back. "You have something better, Stern?" Ulrich payed the man and handed her three stacks of hotdogs with fries while grabbing the other four.

"Never said I had a better one, Red. And because I saved your life and all, the least you can do is call me Ulrich."

Yumi raised an eyebrow before smirking and saying, "Saved my life? Dramatic much? Alright, I guess you deserve a prize. Yumi, then."

"You got it," Ulrich replied with a tiny smile, walking with Yumi back towards the staircase.

"The Red Sox are still going to whip your butt, Ulrich," Yumi taunted. She smirked at him, which he returned with a wink.

"Keep thinking that, Yumi." Yumi smiled to herself. She liked the way he said her name. A little too much for comfort. Yumi turned bright red, scolding herself for blushing in front of him. She couldn't let him know that his words were getting to her.

_Yumi, get a hold of yourself. You just met him. Not to mention, he's a Yankee. If anything, you should be trading insults. Not bantering wittily. Bantering wittily? I did not just think that.._

"Thanks, Yumi."

"Um what? Sorry." She rapidly spoke looking down at William who had just grabbed his fries. She hadn't even noticed that she and Ulrich had already made it to their seats.

"For the fries." He said grinning, eyeing her from top to bottom. Yumi opened her mouth as if she wanted to scold William, but thought better of it. She had time to do it later. Right now, she just wanted to eat, ravenously. But why was she feeling so nervous?

"Yumi, I have to get by you know. I have to fee my Yankee pack. My boys gotta eat." He joked.

Yumi heard whoops and cheers as Ulrich passed her to sit in his seat, handing his plates of food to his two blonde friends.

Oh yeah. That's why.

X

The standing crowd mumbled swear words before grumpily sitting down. The entire stadium was silent, feeling defeated. Everyone shook their heads in disbelief and took a swig of their beers.

Only one person was happy.

Yumi jumped out of her seats and started cheering and whopping. She started to do a little victory dance before turning to Ulrich. She smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Take that, Ulrich. In your face!" She gloated, while sticking her tongue out. The Red Sox had just scored a triple homer, tying the entire game up. She sat back down with a satisfying sigh.

"The chick's wild isn't she?" Yumi heard Ulrich's blonde friend remark softly.

"Heard that, blondie. There's no need to start the name calling. Just because my team is about to kick your ass doesn't mean-

Yumi stopped speaking when she felt something wet hit her cheek. She looked around to see if anyone had thrown beer at her for her outspoken remark, but found no traces of evidence. Yumi felt another drop hit her head. She looked up towards the sky and saw that the sky was dark gray. Rain.

Yumi groaned. "Watch they cancel the game. They always cancel the game when it rains just a little bit."

Ulrich laughed. "Funny how the rain is the only thing that can make you upset."

Yumi glared sourly at him. The rain started to drop harder. Many people around them threw on their hoods or rain coats, continuing to watch the game. Yumi wished she had brought a rain coat or even an umbrella. Shivering slightly, Yumi cursed under her breath as the rain started to pelt downwards. A large roar of thunder erupted.

"Perfect. I defy my parents to watch an exciting game, just for it to be canceled." Yumi muttered to herself.

"Put it this way...at least it's not lightning."

"Don't speak too soon or it will." Yumi whined, waiting for the flash of light across the sky. She watched as the umpire paused the game to talk to the officials. The helpers started to roll out the mat over the field so that the field would be dry.

The scoreboards flashed the word 'delay' several times. Ulrich made a clicking noise with his tongue.

"Sucks."

Yumi turned to look at him, exasperated . "Sucks? It's world-ending. The score is 3 to 3 and the game is being delayed." Ulrich watched her cheeks boil red with annoyance and anger. He noticed how cute she looked with red cheeks and a squinted nose. He wanted to push her buttons, maybe she would flush harder.

"Now whose being dramatic? Doesn't matter. We would have kicked their ass." He leaned back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head. Ulrich closed his eyes, feeling the heavy rain. If it hadn't been for the rain dripping off of his muscular body, Yumi would have argued with him. She felt entranced by how peaceful he looked.

"How do you do that?" She asked him softly, her cheeks turning back to its normal color.

He opened one eye to look at her. "Do what?"

"Block everything out. Like you just did."

Ulrich removed his arms from behind his head and sat up in his chair. His green eyes looked intently at her as he turned sideways to face her. Yumi used her hand to wipe the rain away from her face.

"You really want to know?"

Yumi nodded once, entranced by the brunette.

Ulrich shrugged. "I don't want to bore you or anything like that"

Yumi smiled and grazed her hand over his arm. He looked down at her hand and then up at her. "You won't, I promise."

She locked eyes with Ulrich for several seconds. Her warm brown eyes searched his eyes. His green eyes were deep, filled with passion and truth. She wanted to know him, wanted to feel her lips onto of his, sucking his bottom-

Yumi noticed that she had leaned towards Ulrich, her hand still on top of his. Realizing her actions, she moved backwards into her chair. Blushing furiously, she sunk into her chair. A loud clash of thunder rang through the air, matching the mood of the pelting rain. A flash of violent light sparked through the air.

It was canceled. For good. No rescheduling.

That's what they announced a few minutes ago.

Yumi knew this was coming, but disappointment still flashed through her veins. She hated this, this confusion she felt. Yumi wasn't sure why she was confused or even when it started. The whole night had been a blur.

She walked out of the stadium with Aelita next to her. Yumi was shivering, jealous that Aelita had thought of bringing a rain coat. William and Theo were walking in front of them, their hands thrown into their pockets. All Yumi could hear were car honks, flashes of lightning, and the scuffling of people's feet as they walked through the heavy puddles on the sidewalk.

They had tied. Not good enough.

Although that made her upset, she was really upset about losing Ulrich among the busy, angered crowd. He had chosen to stick around with his buddies after the game for a few beers, she assumed. After she had completely embarrassed herself by leaning in to kiss him, she understood why he would want to avoid her. Then why was she so upset? He was just a guy, another guy that you have one kind of special night and that was it. A tiny crush.

Crush. That word. She hadn't had an interest in a guy in a while. And she had scared him off.

This day sucked.

"I told you to bring a rain coat. You specifically heard me say, 'Yumi Ishiyama, you're going to want to wear a rain coat today and if you don't, I swear you'll be sorry because it might rain tonight'.But did you listen? No. Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me? You would think that by now, everyone would know that I'm usually right." Aelita finished, pointing to herself. Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Lita. You're the angel. Sorry I didn't listen to you, but I am freezing to death and I don't need any 'I told you sos'." Yumi said wearily, sticking her hands into his pocket.

"Okay, better subject. Let's talk about that incredibly hot guy that you sat next to the entire night who you did not hook up with by the way," Aelita jumped in front of Yumi, grinning from ear to ear.

Yumi smiled weakly. Aelita stopped grinning. "I'm sorry. Touchy subject?"

"Nah, it's just that-

"Yumi!"

Yumi wished she could pinch herself because she swore she just heard a husky voice call her name. And it wasn't William or Theo. Throwing her hands into her pockets, she shakily turned to see a figure running through the rain towards her. Although it was heard to see through the pelting rain, Yumi could outline a brunette head. She opened her mouth in a perfect, circular shape, surprised to see him running towards her. Once he approached her, he stopped to look at her with a boyish grin. Running hand through his wet, matted hair, he looked straight into her eyes.

"The peaceful shrugging off thing? Not as easy as it looks. Takes practice. And...if you want, I can show you."

Yumi's heart quickened. With a smile, she replied, "Taking time to train me? Sounds like you have a new student, teach."

He chuckled slightly. "I can show you a whole new world."

She laughed lightly. "Aladdin. Very cute."

"Guess if I'm you're teacher, I should be able to contact you." He said with a grin and a shrug.

"Sounds appropriate. And I guess, to see a new world..I should give you my number." Yumi smiled, shifting from one foot to another.

Ulrich pulled out his I-phone while Yumi pulled out her red Motorola. She glanced over at his phone and then at hers. Hesitant to give her phone to him, Yumi stepped back a little bit, looking at her cell phone and then at Ulrich's.

"You okay?" He asked her before holding his phone out for her to take. Looking at it, she smiled and handed him her phone. "Absolutely."

She entered her number into his phone, with a large grin on her face. Yumi used the camera to flash a picture of her red sox symbol on her shirt before making it her ID in Ulrich's contact list.

Yumi handed Ulrich's phone back and put hers back into her pocket. She felt herself grinning madly. Biting her lip slightly, she used her wet index finger to pull a strand of her black silky hair behind her ear. Shivering slightly, her arms held onto her wet elbows. Ulrich's smile faded.

"Hey, you cold?"

"Nah, it's just-

Ulrich shrugged off his sweatshirt, showing a peek of his toned chest. He handed it to her. She just looked at it and shook her head.

"No, no. It's fine." Yumi quickly spat out.

"Take it. I'm fine."

Yumi hesitated before grabbing the sweatshirt and throwing it over her body. She threw the hood over her hair and snuggled into the wet sweatshirt. It was slightly warmer and it smelled just like him.

Blushing furiously, she used her thumb to gesture towards her friends who were waiting for her. "Listen, I have to go now."

Ulrich nodded with understanding. "Yeah, I should, uh, go too." His cheeks were tinted with pink, Yumi noticed. At least, she wasn't the only one.

"Thanks...you know..for the uh sweatshirt." Yumi found herself losing her words. She scolded herself for sounding like such an idiot.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll, uh, call you sometime, Yumes?" He said, walking backwards, keeping his eyes on her with a smile. He turned around and started walking through the rain, towards his friends.

Yumes. She liked the ring to it.

"Hey Ulrich!" She called after him. He turned around to look at her, flashing his cute, boyish grin.

"Nice meeting you, Yankee," She said with a smirk and a wave before turning away from him and walking with Aelita. The raven haired girl and her pink haired best friend walked over to where William and Theo were talking quietly. Yumi couldn't help but smile. She felt happy, as corny as that sounded.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aelita looking at her. She knew Aelita wanted her to talk about Ulrich with excruciating details, but Yumi was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might start squealing like a five year old.

There was more to Ulrich then just the Yankee fan. That she knew.

There was a mystery behind Ulrich Stern.

And she was going to solve it.


	4. three tres three

**Summer is finally here!**

**So updates will be coming in more frequently! Like in a blink of an eye.**

**Wellllll not that quick because I do have other fics tehehe.**

**But I do have a bet going with my twin about who can update the fastest and because I am VERY competitive, I will be updating this fic the most because she wanted it this way :)**

**Thanks sooo much for the reviews! They make me smile like the sun!**

**(Oh Uncle Kracker)**

**Ignore my weirdness and read the next chapter! THANKS AGAIN!**

**Btws whenever the story is in italics, that's a flashback okay?**

**X**

**ThreeTresThree**

**X**

_Ulrich_

**X**

He watched the swift wind blow the trees softly, shaking the green leaves off of the branches. Closing his eyes, Ulrich enjoyed the soft breeze as it caressed his face warmly. Taking a sip of his coffee, he listened to the honks and the heavy New York accents that filled the air. It felt like home to him. The familiar sounds...the smells...the people.

And yet something else was on his mind.

Yumi.

Ulrich pictured the black haired beauty grinning in her Red Sox gear. Her smile reached her eyes, making her creamy chocolate eyes seem warm and friendly. In a blink of an eye, her grin turned into a smirk and her eyes lit up mischievously, as if she knew something that he didn't know.

More than anything, Ulrich felt the urge to pull out his phone and ask her directly what her deal was. He was so perplexed by her and the way she carried herself as if she didn't give a shit about what people thought about her. But then again, he wasn't sure...he didn't know.

And that made things so stressful.

He wanted to know everything about her, needed to know everything about her. Yumi was just so...enticing. She made him sweat with curiosity. Yumi wasn't the usual girl who threw herself all over him. She was witty, spirited...

And when she smiled, Ulrich felt a grin tug the corner of lips. He laughed at her cute little comebacks and her playfulness. Ulrich even enjoyed the moments last night when she just gazed into his eyes. He felt himself drowning into two pools of chocolate.

Ulrich scoffed, taking a sip of his coffee. He was starting to sound like one of Odd's pick up lines. How corny could he be?

A familiar ringtone rang through the air, startling Ulrich. Grumbling slightly, he reached into his pocket knowing the caller from his identifying ringtone. Zipping his finger across his phone, Ulrich answered it with a tiny hello.

"Son?"

"Yeah Dad?" Ulrich rolled his eyes, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Where the hell are you?" Mr. Stern whispered harshly into the phone. Ulrich switched his phone to his other ear, trying to balance his coffee as he stood up.

"Central Park," Ulrich answered his father obediently.

"What the hell are you doing there? Ulrich, get your ass down to the house immediately. Did you forget about our meeting with the Delmas?"

"Slipped my mind, Dad," Ulrich lied through his teeth.

Ulrich heard muffled swear words. "Son of a...get home now," His father demanded before the line went dead.

Ulrich swore loudly before throwing his phone into his pocket. He threw out his coffee into the nearest trash can before speed walking to where he parked his car. The annual meeting with the Delmas family. Worst day of the year.

Every year, the Delmas come over to see how 'appropriate and well-behaved' Ulrich and his family was. And every year, Ulrich had to put up with Sissy's family with a stupid grin on his face, complimenting her family and listening to their dull stories. And why did he have to put up with it? Oh yeah, his asshole of his father thought that Ulrich could swoon Sissy, therefore win over her father's money and status.

As Ulrich drove through the crowded streets, stopping every few minutes because several idiotic people walked across the streets at the worst possible times, he pondered the thought of never meeting Sissy. That was a fantastic and very desirable dream of his.

Sissy. How he despised her and her little whiny voice that always sounded like it was going to break all of the windows in the area. Ulrich hated the way she walked on the streets, her hips swinging wildly as her heels clacked against the streets. He hated how she only cared about money and who she hung out with. Life was just a game to her...to see if she can have the best or be the best. Sissy was superficial and an annoying brat, to be quite honest.

Ulrich sighed, taking a right into the governor of New York's house. He pressed in the code that unlocked the black, steel gates that allowed him to drive into his father's private parking lot. Ulrich hopped out of his car, locking it as he walked towards the glass room with the elevator in it that would take him up to the lobby floor.

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her. She didn't seem that awful, until she spoke that is.

X

_"Ulrich?"_

_"Yeah Dad?" Ulrich's slightly higher pitched voice called out from upstairs. The 13-year-old exited his room, jogging to the balcony before the winding staircase. Ulrich gazed down at his father, realizing there were three unfamiliar people standing next to him._

_"I would like you to meet someone, son," Ulrich's father grinned, motioning for him to come down the stairs._

_Ulrich nodded, shuffling down the steps, two by two. He stopped right next to his Dad, staring at the three people in front of him._

_The first man was old, maybe around 60 years old. The man had gray hair and a shaggy beard. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose, eyeing Ulrich intensely. Ulrich shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he should say something. The stuffy old man was creeping him out._

_He turned to the right of him to see a younger woman with gorgeous black flowing hair. The woman smiled approvingly at Ulrich, nodding frantically. Her brown eyes dance with amusement. Ulrich gulped nervously, wondering what was going on._

_Ulrich turned to the right of her and saw a girl his age. He sighed with relief. This he could work with. The grinning girl offered her dainty hand to him, using her other hand to play with her long, dark hair. Ulrich checked the girl out, noticing that she was a tall, slender girl with brown eyes and dark freckles. She looked like the woman standing next to her. He shook her hand with a half smile._

_"Ulrich, I would like you to meet Elizabeth Delmas, Mr. Delmas's daughter."_

_Ulrich nodded before saying, "Nice to meet you." He should have known it was another one of his father's 'friends' in politics._

_"You too, Ulrich! Call me Sissy." She squeaked, giggling madly. Ulrich winced slightly, taking a step backward. He would have never figured this girl had a hight pitched and nasally voice. Ulrich felt sorry for her._

_"Sissy will be boarding in New York this fall and hopefully she will love it as much as you do, son! We would be honored, Mr. Delmas, to have Sissy over anytime," His father said to Mr. Delmas with faux happiness._

_Ulrich looked at Sissy, knowing he had to be nice to her. "So you wanna go hang out?"_

_She nodded and started giggling, before she grabbed his hand. Ulrich felt taken back by her boldness, but just shrugged it off. She was just a girl, anyway. He led her up the steps, hearing his Dad talk about how the two of them would get along perfectly._

_Ulrich led her into his room before walking over to his bed and sitting on it. Sissy looked over at him with her hands on her hips._

_"Ulrich, do you think I'm pretty?"_

_Ulrich raised an eyebrow. "Sure...?"_

_Sissy's grin widened. "Ulrich, do you want to kiss me?" She walked over to his bed before sitting on it and batting her eyelashes._

_Ulrich didn't know what to say to that. He avoided Sissy's gaze, hoping he didn't have to answer that. What kind of a question was that anyway? Sissy turned his face towards her before smacking her lips on top of his. Ulrich shrugged it, thinking it wouldn't hurt so he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Ulrich thought it was going well before Sissy tried to force her tongue through his mouth, slobbering all over his teeth. He gagged with disgust, throwing the girl backwards a little. He wiped his mouth and jumped up from the bed._

_She grinned at him suggestively. Ulrich just looked at her in disbelief. "Um, Sissy? You seem really nice and all, but um I don't really know you..." Ulrich tried to say._

_She nodded once. "Well, Ulrich dear, you'll get to know me soon enough! I think we're destined to be together as lovers."_

_Ulrich stifled a laugh. "Lovers?" Sissy frowned, putting her hands on her hips as she got up from the bed._

_"What's so funny?"_

_Ulrich tried to hide the smirk from his face. "Nothing."_

_Sissy seemed to relax at that. "Ulrich dear, be a dear and take me shopping! Show me the ropes of the upper east side!"_

_Ulrich rolled his eyes before smirking. "Funny." He went over to his bed and sat down on it._

_Sissy pouted, placing her hands on her hips before tapping her foot loudly. "Ulrich, when I want something you do it! Now let's go shopping!"_

_He raised an eyebrow at her before asking incredulously, "Are you serious? No, I'm not taking your bratty highness shopping."_

_Sissy's pout faded and an innocent smile slipped on to her face. "So you'll take me shopping?"_

_Ulrich crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. Ulrich raised his voice. "Are you deaf? I just told you-_

_"What an excellent idea, Sissy," A voice interrupted Ulrich. Ulrich turned with shock to see his father and Mr. Delmas standing at the doorway of his room. "Ulrich would be happy to show you the ropes of New York City, right son?"_

_Ulrich tried his best to smile genuinely , but it looked agitated and forceful. "Would be my pleasure."_

_Mr. Delmas nodded approvingly._

_Ulrich stared over at Sissy, watching her smile innocently over at her father as she ran a hand through her hair. Looking into her brown eyes, Ulrich knew she was anything but innocent. She completely lost her bratty attitude when her father walked in. Ulrich already knew he didn't like her._

_X_

_Ulrich jogged down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bowl out of the cabinet, he then reached into the refrigerator for the carton of milk. Walking over to the table, the carton slipped from Ulrich's hand when he saw Sissy sitting at the table, grinning at him. Picking up the carton, he sat at the table and poured his cereal into his bowl._

_"What are you doing here? I thought you were only in town for a weekend and then you were going back to move all of your stuff to your new apartment," Ulrich stated, while chewing a mouthful of cereal. Sissy gazed over at him with affection before batting her eyelids and placing her hand on top of Ulrich's._

_"Daddy let me stay here with you so I could spend some more time with you. Isn't that great?" She giggled madly, squeezing his hand. He pulled away, turning from her slightly._

_"Just the greatest," He replied sarcastically. A loud slam of a door could be heard followed by heavy footsteps coming towards the kitchen._

_"ULRICH!"_

_"In here!" Ulrich yelled, swallowing his cereal._

_Entering the kitchen, Odd Della Robbia was breathing heavily. Looking over at Sissy, he turned slightly red before slicking back his hair and strutting over._

_"Well, hello pretty lady. I'm Odd," He introduced himself, holding out his hand with a wink. She looked at it in disgust._

_"No thanks, I don't shake peasants' hand," She replied snottily, looking away. Ulrich rolled his eyes before putting his bowl in the sink. "Forget her Odd, let's go to school." What a princess._

_Odd put his hand down with a frown. He smirked before saying to Sissy, "How about you and me go out sometime?"_

_Sissy let out a hmph before swatting away Odd as if he were a nasty bug. "I don't date losers. Don't you have a cab to catch peasant?"_

_Odd frowned, raising an eyebrow. Ulrich pulled him away from the collar and exited out the side door. Swinging his forest green bag over his back, Ulrich jumped into the Range Rover with Odd before Ulrich's chauffeur pulled out of the driveway. Odd ran a hand through his hair._

_"The girl's a bitch, isn't she?"_

_Ulrich nodded and replied, "Yup. She's a handful. The ole wicked witch of the west."_

_"How long do you have to deal with the witch of the west?" He asked, feeling sympathetic for his brunette friend._

_Ulrich shrugged. "I'm talking to him tonight about getting rid of her. She's a pain in my ass."_

_X_

_Ulrich walked up to his father's office and knocked on it. "Dad?"_

_"Come in, Ulrich."_

_Ulrich nodded to himself, closing the door behind him. He took a seat in front of his father. His father was looking over documents, occasionally writing something down._

_"Dad, we've got to ditch Sissy. She's a royal pain," Ulrich said with amusement while crossing his arms over his head._

_Mr. Stern pushed his glasses higher up his nose before putting down his pen and looking directly at his son with no trace of a smile. "Sissy is a civilized and proper young lady unlike your friend, Weird."_

_"Odd," Ulrich corrected him, trying not to whine before saying, "But Dad, why do I have to entertain her?"_

_Mr. Stern looked at his son before putting his glasses down and clasping his palms together. "She seems to have a crush on you son and if you know what's good for you, you'll like Miss Delmas as well. She could do you some good."_

_"You mean her father could do us some good," Ulrich spat at his father, bewildered at what his father was saying._

_His face reddening, Mr. Stern raised his voice. "Ulrich, you will court Elizabeth and that is final! I will not have your pathetic ass disgracing this family!"_

_Ulrich looked taken back by his father's comment. Bowing his head in defeat, Ulrich looked at his lap. "Yes, father."_

_Standing up from his chair, Ulrich unclenched his fists before walking out the office door. Muttering some swear words, he walked up the stairs and to his room before slamming his door shut. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Ulrich closed his eyes and laid down on his bed. Breathing slowly, Ulrich crossed his arms over his head and forced himself into thinking happy thoughts._

_His father always played the disappointment card._

_X_

"Dad?"

"In here, Ulrich!"

Ulrich walked through his large, open house until he arrived in the family room. He handed his jacket to Maria, the housekeeper, with a kiss on her cheek before walking over to the couches. To his surprise, his mother and father were sitting there. Ulrich walked over to his mother before giving her a kiss on the cheek. He then sat next to his father, exchanging a firm handshake with him.

"Where are the Delmas?" Ulrich asked.

"They had other business to attend to so we rescheduled the meeting," Mr. Stern declared. "We said you were helping make sandwiches for the homeless kids."

"What's going on?" Ulrich asked, questioning his parents. He ignored his father's statement about the homeless kids.

"Your father and I would like to speak to you about your future," His mother replied, smiling at him.

Ulrich returned the smile. "I'm going to Middleburry in the fall to play soccer, remember? We've had this discussion before."

Mr. Stern grunted slightly. "Change of plans son. I have arranged for you to attend Harvard in the fall for their law school. And it's about time you settled down with a girl. To be more specific, we would like you to ask Sissy to marry you once college is over."

Ulrich's green eyes widened as he laughed bitterly. "Have you fucking lost it?"

Mrs. Stern looked at her son in horror. "Ulrich! Language!"

Ulrich shot his mother an apologetic look before saying, "That's not going to happen. Guys, I want to be a soccer player. Soccer's my passion, not law school! I don't want to be a lawyer. I'm not even that smart. I get Bs and Cs. And as for marrying Sissy, you can forget that. There is no way I would ever marry that conceited princess from Hell."

"Ulrich, that's enough from you! You will go to Harvard and practice law. And you will marry Sissy. Her family is incredibly wealthy and well-known!" Ulrich's father yelled.

Ulrich scoffed. "That's all you care about isn't it? Money and status. You never stop to think about what I want. This is my life not yours, Dad."

Ulrich's dad's face turned red, boiling with anger. "Dammit Ulrich. You will do what I ask of you or you can forget about living with us! Are we clear?"

Ulrich looked at his father, hatred shinning through his piercing green eyes. "Crystal, Dad," He spat.

Shooting his mother a look that would hopefully make her feel guilty, Ulrich stood up from the couch and left the room abruptly. Grabbing his coat from the kitchen, Ulrich headed into the garage, hopping into his sports car.

"Fuck you, Dad," He mumbled to himself, starting up the car's engine. With a harsh squeak, the car pulled out of the garage and drive way before speeding off into the busy streets.

Ulrich exhaled loudly, trying to remove the stress from his body. He hated his father for everything he was. Mr. Stern was cruel, pressuring and ever since Ulrich was young, he has always made him feel awful by telling Ulrich he's a disappointment to the family. More than anything, Ulrich just wanted his father to accept him for who he is. But asking for that would be like asking for a miracle. Unlikely.

Ulrich tried to come up with different ways he could stop thinking about his father. Normally, he would get trashed with Odd and pick up some girls, but it didn't seem that appealing to him. Ulrich could go over to Jeremie's house and play some video games, but then the Einstein would go on and on about the computer programming behind the video game. Ulrich could go to Sissy's house, but that would be the kiss of death. He need more friends, Ulrich thought to himself.

Honking at the car in front of him, Ulrich looked up in the sky and saw a banner of the Yankee symbol. Smiling slightly, Ulrich mentally slapped himself, wondering why he hadn't thought about it before. Yankees verses the Red Sox was happening tonight. What else in the world could possibly be better?

Thinking about the game last night, Ulrich thought about Yumi and the way she pouted when she didn't get her way. Or the way she teased him with her bantering and even the way the wind caressed her face, making her smile widen.

Reaching for his phone in his pocket, Ulrich pulled up to her contact page that had be opened several hundred times since last night. Pressing her number, he waited with anticipation as the phone started ringing.

Ulrich held his breath until he heard a familiar voice. "Hello?" His heart quickened at the sound of her perky voice. Mentally scolding himself for not breathing, he exhaled shakily.

"Yumi?"

"Hey Ulrich."

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go see the game tonight? You can bring a friend with you," Ulrich asked as he steered the car into a parking space on the street.

"At Yankee Stadium? Sounds dangerous...I'm in."

Ulrich felt a grin slide onto his face. Switching his phone to his other ear, he pulled into a parking space before shutting the car's engine off. "Awesome. So, where are you right now?"

"Um, I'm in a friend's friend's loft somewhere in New York. We can meet you somewhere?"

Ulrich pondered this thought, but shook his head. "Nah, we'll come pick you up. Give me your address."

Ulrich reached for a pen as he wrote down Yumi's address. Smiling to himself, he put down the piece of paper and hopped out of the car. "Wicked. You Boston people say that right?"

He heard her scoff before laughing slightly, making him grin. "So I'll pick you up in 20?"

"You got it, champ," She said with amusement.

"Bye Yumi."

"Bye."

Ulrich waited for the click on the other end before putting his phone away. Smiling to himself, he turned his car back on and pulled out of the parking space, ignoring the angered people who were honking at him.

X

_Yumi_

X

Yumi threw her phone into her pocket, trying to hide her smile. Biting her lip, Yumi tried to refrain herself from squealing. Walking into the darkened kitchen, she squinted and saw Aelita sitting at the table.

"Who was that?" Her pink haired friend asked.

Yumi grinned before singing, "No one." She clicked her tongue and sat down next to Aelita.

"Even though the power is out, Yumi, I can totally see that you are extremely happy. Was it...no don't tell me...Ulrich?" Aelita asked, squealing.

Yumi nodded frantically before she and Aelita started squealing. "Lita, you and me are going to the game tonight with Ulrich and his blond friend!"

"Aw, Yumi! I'm so happy for you that I would gladly distract his too-purple-for-comfort friend," She said with a smile. "And anything to get out of this black out."

Yumi rolled her eyes, regaining her previous frustration.

X

_"Here we are!" William announced happily._

_"William...are we in a cave?" Aelita asked him, walking through the door with Yumi and Theo following her._

_"No, this is my buddy Spencer's house," William replied, throwing his stuff on the floor._

_"William, it's brighter outside and it's 5 am in the morning," Yumi stated coldly, squinting through the darkness._

_"Yo Willy, my man!" A figure walked into the room, clapping his hands. Aelita started waving her hand in front of her face, coughing slightly._

_"Are you smoking?" The pink haired girl asked in disbelief._

_"Shit, sorry Pinkie. Willy didn't tell me he was bringing girls into the house. Sorry ladies. Haven't paid the electric bill yet," Spencer said apologetically, leaning against the kitchen counter._

_"Perfect," Yumi muttered angrily under her breath. "And I suppose we're going to sleep on the couch?" She asked Spencer, confident he was going to prove her wrong._

_"Um, it's either that or the broken mattress. Take your pick," He said before walking out the room._

_Yumi muttered more swear words before walking forward. Letting out a cry of pain, Yumi held her stomach tightly. "Christ!" She yelled after slamming into the counter._

_"Alright there?" Theo asked her, trying to steady her._

_"Remind me why we didn't get a hotel room? Or at least a loft with windows and electricity," Yumi asked her friends dully. She threw her body onto the couch._

_"We don't have money," Aelita replied softly, creating an awkward silence. Yumi cursed herself for making such a stupid comment. Of course, they were broke which meant they couldn't get a room._

_"Sorry Lita," Yumi told her friend, giving her a slight hug. She knew Aelita became upset when they talked about how little money they had. Her pink haired friend blamed herself for not working as many jobs._

_"S'okay, Yumes."_

_"What now?" Theo asked, laying on the floor. William joined him as Aelita set up on the other couch._

_Yumi sighed. "We sleep."_

_Yumi rested her head against the couch's hard head rest. Although it wasn't the most comfortable couch in the world, she couldn't stop thinking about the amazing night she had. With a certain brown haired boy._

_Thinking about his boyish grin, Yumi's eyes closed shut as she peacefully drifted into her dreams._

_X_

"Yeah, this arrangement sucks, but hey...at least that pig Spencer is out of the house and Ulrich is picking us up in...oh shit...What am I going to wear?" Yumi whaled.

"Calm down! When are they picking us up?" Aelita asked her as Yumi frantically opened her bag, throwing clothes everywhere.

"Twenty mintues!"

Aelita's green eyes widened as she reached for her duffel bag and copied Yumi's actions. "So soon? Why?" Traces of panic could be detected in Aelita's voice.

"It's an afternoon game! Shit, how can I do my makeup with no light?" Yumi yelled as she grabbed clothes and ran into the tiny bathroom to change.

A figure walked into the room, yawning loudly. "What's happening?"

Aelita rolled her eyes. "It's about time you're awake, William. What about Theo?"

"Still sleeping. What's going on?" He asked with curiosity, sitting on the couch with a plop. Her rubbed his back, scolding himself for forgetting that the couch was rock hard.

"Ulrich is picking Yumi and I up soon to go see another baseball game," Aelita replied, grabbing her clothes and running over to the bathroom that Yumi was in. She started knocking frantically.

"Yumi! Let me in! Just because you're trying to impress Ulrich is no excuse for me to look like a hobo!" Aelita yelled just as Yumi opened the door, letting Aelita slip inside before Yumi slammed the door and locked it.

William's eyes narrowed as he walked over to the bathroom door. Frowning, he pressed himself into the door. "The guy Yumi was sitting next to last night? How did he get ahold of you, Yumi?" William asked with false curiosity.

"While you two meat heads were engrossed in the game, Ulrich and Yumi were flirting all night and he asked for her number."

"Aelita!" William heard Yumi retort. A small smacking noise could be heard.

"Ow! Don't hit me with that hairbrush! You know I'm right, like always," Aelita replied smartly.

William felt his face boil with anger before saying, "And you're just going to go out with this...this stranger, Yumi?" His voice sounded hostile. The door opened abruptly and Yumi stepped out, holding a flashlight.

"Yup. Nothing out of the ordinary!" She flashed him a smile with two thumbs up before running a hand through her hair.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," William answered with a scoff. Yumi raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief as Aelita joined them in the darkness.

"Is that so? Why?"

"He seems like an asshole."

"Jealous much?" Yumi mocked him, hitting his shoulder playfully before going over to the cabinet to get some breakfast. William followed her with his hands crossed over his chest.

Scoffing, he arrogantly said, "Me? Jealous? Funny. I just think you shouldn't go, that's all."

Yumi reached into the frosted flakes bag, pulled out a handful and shoved it into her mouth. "Thanks for being protective and all, but I think I'll be fine."

"Yeah, she's got me with her," Aelita included, ruffling her hair slightly. Yumi winced slightly when she heard knocking at the door. Silently panicking, she walked over to Aelita who squeezed her hands.

"Breath check." Yumi whispered before breathing on Aelita. Aelita waved the smell away before saying, "Get some gum. You smell like Frosted Flakes."

Yumi paled as she ran to her duffel bag looking for some gum while Aelita ran over to the door to answer it. Opening it quickly, she squinted and saw two males standing at the door.

"Yumi?"

"Aelita. Come on in!" She smiled, greeting them warmly.

The two boys walked in as Aelita shut the door behind them. "Why is it so dark?"

"Power went out," Aelita suggested, hoping they would buy into her lie.

"Oh, I was thinking that Yumi had planned the black out so that she could ambush us and feed us her Red Sox lies," Ulrich replied jokingly.

"Har har, Ulrich. Very funny," Yumi's voice could be heard. She got up from her crouching position with minty gum in her mouth and walked over to where everyone was standing. She smiled at Ulrich. A forceful cough echoed through the room. Yumi turned to see William, staring at her expectantly.

"Oh right. William, this is Ulrich and his friend, Odd. Guys, this is William." Yumi said, as she watched William and Ulrich exchange cold looks with one another. Yumi waved a hand in front of William's face, unable to break their glares.

"Alrighty then, we should get going," Yumi muttered hurriedly, before forcefully grabbing Ulrich's hand and leading him out into the hallway. She felt Aelita and Odd following them as the door shut. Leading Ulrich out of the apartment complex, she grinned when she stepped out onto the streets of NY.

"Light, at last!" Yumi said, squeezing Ulrich's hand. Realizing she was still holding his hand, she dropped it and flushed bright pink. Ulrich watched her with amusement. Yumi looked back to see Aelita and Odd talking animatedly behind them.

"So, what's up with the darkness?" Ulrich asked her as they walked on the sidewalk.

"It was William's brilliant idea to stay with a guy who hasn't paid the electric bill in probably a decade," Yumi replied, running a hand through her hair.

Ulrich looked over at her in concern. "And you're staying there?"

Yumi flushed pink with embarrassment. "Yep."

An awkward silence followed before Ulrich said, "You know, you could stay with us. It wouldn't be a problem."

Yumi looked over at him with a smile. "Thanks. I think we're good though." Ulrich strolled over to his sports car, motioning Yumi to follow. Yumi felt her breath catch and mentally slapped herself to keep breathing. The car was a beautiful, silver sports car. The car also screamed expensive.

Yumi swallowed her nerves. She shifted from one foot to another, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Ulrich was probably loaded while here she was, staying in an apartment of some stranger who hadn't paid the bills in decades.

Ulrich looked at her strangely. "Aren't you going to get in?"

Yumi smirked. "Of course, champ. Just admiring it." She hopped into the passenger seat before buckling up.

Waiting for Aelita and Odd to jump in the back, Yumi exchanged a smile with Ulrich. She felt her smile widening as she stared into his piercing green eyes.

"We ready to go?" Ulrich called out, starting up the engine. Yumi gazed out the window, watching people hurriedly walk the sidewalks and streets of the busy city. She scrunched her nose up and forced herself to keep a pleasant look on her face. As much as she hated New York, she enjoyed spending time with Ulrich. Looking over at the brunette, Yumi smiled slightly before turning up the radio.

For the first time in a long time, Yumi felt excited.

**X**

**Sorry to end so abruptly, but I wanted the next chapter to be dedicated entirely to their date which will be oh so fluffy and delicious.**

**Sorry the chapter was slightly boring, but I need part of Ulrich's history with his family and Sissy thrown in there, because it is going to be much more apart of the story. And I wanted to include the beginning of Yumi's feelings toward Ulrich's mulahhhh!**

**One step ahead of you, Twinie. Guess you owe me a chapter!**

**READERS! I'm looking forward to your reviews!**

**SOOOO PLEASEEEE REVIIIIEWWWWWW.**

**It won't take more than five seconds :)**

**Anime.**


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